ITP has made a concerted effort to develop academic partnerships with leading software companies, including Microsoft, Novell, Oracle, and SAP. Through these relationship with these companies we are able to provide our students an opportunity to take specific classes which lead to certification within a certain area, such as Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. In addition, these alliances give us the support we need to offer courses that provide our students with access to the latest software available in the market.

ITP continues to be involved in several outreach programs with the Integrated Media Systems Center in the School of Engineering in an effort to give back to the local communities. One example is the Los Angeles Retraining Program (LARP) which helps displaced workers acquire new skills in the multimedia arena so that they could find new positions. We have also trained scores of personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department on how to use their new enterprise-wide computer network. Our labs have also been used by USC’s Minority Engineering Program (MEP) to give incoming minority students a jump start in their academic career by supplying them with intensive, hands-on computer training.

Microsoft Certified Partner

The Information Technology Program at USC is an Authorized Academic Training Partner (AATP) with Microsoft Corporation. The Microsoft Certified Professional Program consists of a variety of courses offered to students that provide the skills and knowledge to succeed in the industry. ITP offers a variety of certification levels ranging from Certified Professional, Solution Developer, Systems Engineer, and Internet Specialist. The Instructors for our courses are Microsoft Certified Trainers and Professionals.

SAP Education Partner

This alliance is designed to provide the student with a thorough understanding of both the role that Information Systems (IS) play in an organization and the challenging task of implementing and managing the IS function. During the semester, projects will be assigned to afford the opportunity to work through several real-life business processes using the SAP R/3 system. SAP is the world's leading provider of client/server software designed to integrate every aspect of a company's operation. The hand's on exercises, coupled with the in-class discussions of IS, will prepare the student with the knowledge sought by businesses looking to use technology to maintain their competitive edge in the market place.

Oracle

Network computing has become the hottest topic in the field of Information Technology. The Oracle Academic Alliance Program with ITP provides a foundation for students to learn about the Oracle database, network computing, client-server computing, and development tools. The Oracle Alliance Program at USC delivers a high impact curriculum that incorporates software solutions, products, and resources available in today's competitive marketplace.

RedHat

Linux is the fastest growing Operating system in the field of Information technology today and Red Hat is one of the premier providers of quality linux distributions. The RedHat University Program has provided ITP with an opportunity to gain access to resources that we need to adopt open source software in curriculum, infrastructure and research efforts. The students are introduced to concepts and advanced topics in linux through various classes using Red Hat Linux.

IBM

Business Intelligence is becoming critical for the success of companies in the new Internet economy and Business Intelligence is a blend of Information Technology and Business. To serve the industry as well as students needs ITP has formed a linkage with IBM Data Management. This can help to ensure that graduates have an opportunity to succeed in the fast-growing information technology market. To best serve the students' needs, the DB2 Scholars Program has provided ITP with the latest data management software.